Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Laundry with baking soda
• Method 2 of 3: Removing stains with baking soda
• Method 3 of 3: Dry cleaning with baking soda
• Tips

Baking soda is a natural deodorizer and cleanser. By adding baking soda during your wash, you can gently clean your clothes and remove stubborn stains and odors. The baking soda will also help soften fabrics, strengthen the powder, and keep whites white. Plus, using baking soda (as an added bonus) will help keep your washing machine clean.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Laundry with baking soda

1. 1 Pre-soak items if necessary. If you want to use baking soda as a deodorant, it is best to soak your clothes in the baking soda solution overnight. This will give the baking soda time to absorb and remove harsh odors from the fabrics. This method works well for clothes, towels, and other items that smelled of smoke, faded or soaked in sweat.
   • Mix a glass of baking soda with 4 liters of water. Pour the soda mixture into a bucket.
   • Put your clothes in the bucket. Stir things until they are completely saturated. Add more water if needed.
   • Leave to soak overnight. The next day you can take your things to the laundry.
2. 2 Start loading the laundry. Load dirty clothes (and pre-soaked items) into the washing machine. Add laundry detergent. Start a wash cycle and the machine starts to fill with water. Wait until it fills completely before continuing.
   • Clothes with a foul smell are best washed in hot water. A musty odor is usually caused by mold spores, which can be killed with hot water.
   • Wash delicate fabrics and brightly colored items in cold water.
3. 3 Add 1/2 cup baking soda to the loaded clipper. Add the baking soda directly to the full washing machine to dissolve in the water. Run your wash as usual.
   • For very large loads, you can add up to a glass of baking soda.
   • You can enhance the deodorant effect of baking soda by adding a glass of white vinegar.
4. 4 Dry your clothes outside. This is the best way to dry clothes that have a musty, smoky, or sweaty odor prior to washing. Drying in the sun and wind will help freshen things up. Even on a cold winter day, you can dry your clothes outside. Just pick the sunniest place.
   • Use a tumble dryer if you prefer not to dry your clothes outside. After drying, sniff the clothes and determine if they need to be washed again.
   • If your clothes still have a musty odor after tumble drying, choose a sunny day to wash the garments again and hang them outside to dry.

Method 2 of 3: Removing stains with baking soda

1. 1 Prepare a baking soda paste. Most natural stain removers are made with baking soda. The baking soda is soft enough to apply to almost any type of fabric. Mix a tablespoon of baking soda with enough water to make a thick paste. Alternatively, you can mix baking soda with hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar.
   • Baking soda paste is best for fabrics that are not designed for dry cleaning. Either way, you'll have to rinse off the soda paste with water, so your clothes will get wet anyway.
   • Baking soda paste is great for removing oil, grease, dirt, food, and more stains.
2. 2 Apply the paste to the stain. Rub it lightly into the stain. The paste should completely cover the entire stain. Leave it on for 15 minutes.
   • If there is a stubborn stain on your clothes, you can scrub it off with an old toothbrush. Thoroughly treat all fibers of the stained fabric with baking soda.This method works well for denim and heavy cottons.
   • Don't rub baking soda on delicate fabrics. Silk, satin and other delicate fabrics can be damaged during this process.
3. 3 Rinse off the baking soda. Rinse the fabric in warm running water, rinsing off the baking soda along with the stain. On more delicate fabrics, you can blot the baking soda with a damp cloth.
4. 4 Repeat the procedure if necessary. For some tough stains, you will have to repeat the procedure several times. Reapply a layer of paste to the stain. Leave it on for 15 minutes and then wash off. If the stain is still there, you may need to use a chemical stain remover or take it to a professional dry cleaner.

Method 3 of 3: Dry cleaning with baking soda

1. 1 Sprinkle baking soda on musty clothes. Use baking soda to clean items that are only dry cleaned. Even if the baking soda doesn't wash your clothes, it will absorb odors and mustiness, giving your clothes a fresh scent.
   • Cover the item with a thin layer of baking soda and then pack it in an airtight bag. You can evenly distribute the layer of baking soda with a flour sieve.
   • Fill a clean sock with baking soda if you don't want to apply it directly to your clothing. Tie the open end of the sock. Place a baking soda sock in a bag of clothes and tie it up.
2. 2 Leave the baking soda in this state overnight. After a while, the baking soda will completely absorb the musty odor. Place the bag of baking soda inside in a cool, dry place overnight.
3. 3 Air your clothes outside. Open the bag and shake the baking soda out of it. Use a soft brush to remove any residue if necessary. Hang the item in the sun. Leave it in the fresh air and let it air for a few hours.
4. 4 Repeat as needed. If the smell is too strong, you may need to repeat this procedure several times. Rub the baking soda on the clothes again, let them lie down and get rid of the smell. If the item still smells musty after that, you may need to contact a professional.

Tips

• Replacing detergent with baking soda is a natural choice. Strong ingredients in detergents are harmful to water and earth.
• Another positive effect of adding baking soda to your regular laundry detergent is that it softens the water and increases the cleaning efficiency of your clothes. This also contributes to the formation of foam.
• During the wash, baking soda will help balance the pH level in the water. In such water, clothes are better washed.
• Use baking soda as a fabric softener. To do this, add 1/2 cup of baking soda during the rinse.
• Baking soda helps in removing stains from clothes and also removes sticky, stubborn, and foul-smelling stains from your washing machine.